Senior Leadership Team
Meet our Senior Leadership Team
John Allen
Chief Executive
John is WellingtonNZ’s CEO, leading the charge in our ambition to make the Wellington region wildly famous.
John is an experienced chief executive, having led New Zealand Post, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand Racing Board. As a civic leader in the region, he is focused on supporting the region to prosper in the post-Covid world.
“Wellington needs to be confident of our future, what will define it and how it will be delivered. To thrive we need a flourishing economy where more people can participate in its benefits. WellingtonNZ has a key role to play in paving the way for a prosperous future and attracting the talent, students, events and visitors and investment that will make that happen.”
Warrick Dent
General Manager Events & Experiences
Warrick heads up the team that helps to deliver an unrivalled business, performance, sports and major events programme for Wellington. WellingtonNZ's Events & Experiences business unit brings together the Major Events and Venues Wellington teams to support some of Wellington's most wildly popular events, and manage and operate some of the city's most iconic venues.
Prior to moving to Wellington, Warrick lived in Hong Kong heading up Rugby Events Asia, the agency behind the Hong Kong Sevens, and is an expert in how to make events commercially viable and deliver an economic impact for a region.
“Events and live experiences are a major part of what makes a destination an exciting place to be – whether as a visitor, student or resident. Wellington is the perfect stage for events – compact, easy to get around and full of the talent that can deliver exceptional experiences.”
David Perks
General Manager Regional Development, Destination and Attraction
David leads WellingtonNZ's large business-to-business support team, spanning business support, research and development grants, screen permitting and industry support, tourism, destination development, Wellington's convention bureau and regional development projects. His team is committed to growing Wellington's regional economy and advancing the prosperity of its businesses and people.
Originally from the UK, David loves Wellington for being able to be running on a trail one minute and enjoying a coffee at a local café the next. With a background in tourism, having managed hotels and Positively Wellington Tourism, David is focused on developing Wellington as a region so it’s a magnet for businesses, students, talent and visitors alike.
“This region is packed with people and businesses doing interesting and innovative things. From gaming and film studios, to large technology and high-value manufacturing businesses, there is so much opportunity here. It’s our mission to support businesses to innovate and grow, creating more jobs so everyone in the region can thrive."
Heidi Morton
General Manager Business Services
Heidi heads up the teams that deliver support services across WellingtonNZ in People & Culture, Health & Safety, Finance, and IT. Business Services also assist WellingtonNZ teams with Corporate Services, Legal, Board Secretariat and Risk work.
A born and bred Wellingtonian with a varied career across the globe, Heidi ensures her teams are working as valued business partners and strives to make the mundane enjoyable.
“We’re a team of people who are wildly passionate about Wellington and want to see this region succeed. WellingtonNZ has a wide and varied mandate and need to ensure we have the right people, capability and resources to deliver a positive impact for the region’s economy.”